A Storm is Brewing
Imagine with me for a moment that you are on a boat out at sea. I’ll let you decide which kind of boat you are on. A yacht. A Boston Whaler. Maybe you pick something fancy.
I’d probably pick a sail boat. From what I know about them (which is little), the sailboat seems like the safest bet. They are durable and can be propelled by wind if the motor gives out.
During this season of life, safety and stability is a priority for me over the speed and luxury.
Now that you have your boat picked out, let’s imagine we are out on the water, land is a speck or non existent on the horizon. You’re the captain of this voyage.
What did you bring? Friends, family? Are you fishing, wake boarding, or sun bathing? Did you go with bagged lunches or charcuterie? Beer, wine, water, capri suns, or freshly blended daiquiris?
Picture it, we’re cruising now!
If you’re like me, you’ve prepared everything perfectly. Except you didn’t. Like checking the weather prior to your journey. I don’t know what it is, y’all. Maybe it’s my own conspiracies around the weather being wrong constantly. I always forget to check it before I embark on an excursion where weather could intervene.
Suddenly, you notice a storm is brewing.
You see it building, big angry clouds, wave size increasing, and winds begin swirling.
You Are Stewarding
Storms are unpredictable. They are a helpful visual for how to “weather” challenges that come up in life. A storm is the perfect mix of chaos, uncertainty, preparation, and response. The more storms you have faced, the more your awareness builds on how to ride them out.
Similar to our visual of the boat, we are the captain of our life. We make choices every day that either build or deteriorate our ability to steward it well.
Unless you were given the yacht with the captain, the gas payed for, and the snacks served on a silver tray, you more than likely have weathered a storm or two before.
As I’ve continued to learn more about God, I’ve began to question how people live without faith. Please do not misread my questioning as judgment towards those who don’t believe in God. I simply cannot fathom a life without having faith when I know the storms it has saved me from.
As with everything in life, faith comes with a responsibility.
James writes about this in scripture. In one chapter, he writes,
“Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?
For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half starved saying, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” And walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup — where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?”
If we choose to have faith, like we would choose to seek safety in our boat scenario, chances are we’ve been motivated by desperation.
I’ve noticed now more than ever, when I have conversations with others, I’m hearing about all sorts of storms happening in peoples lives. Fear of what is happening in our country, broken relationships, struggles in business, you name it. The storms are brewing and we are in the middle of it.
God Is Leading
Whether you believe in God or not, I am convinced to the deepest depths of my soul that God is leading. He is in charge of the ship and I am trusting in the ways He is stewarding, even when that feels scary to do.
There’s a moment in the book of Matthew where Jesus is going through a storm himself. He is carrying the weight of knowing that God wants Him to go to the cross soon. A storm that I would not wish on anyone
Imagine preparing to tell those on the boat with you about the approaching storm, and you walk into everyone sleeping! Jesus had a similar situation in the garden after feeling sorrow for what was coming.
“When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”
Are we eager to believe that despite the storm we are in, God is leading? Or do we lay lazy before the storm in front of us, numb to the destruction it’s causing?
Things To Remember When A Storm Is Brewing
Do not be afraid. (2 Timothy 1:7)
God is with you. (1 Peter 5:7)
God will protect you. (Psalms 89:18)
God has a plan for you. (Proverbs 3:5)
You were made for this moment. (Psalms 71:7)
Your challenge this week is to see where you are in relation to the storm. If you’re cruising in the sunshine, are you praising for the calm seas? If you’re in the middle facing the storm, are you trusting that Jesus saves us when we believe?
My prayer for you is a break in the storm. I hope for a sunny day on the boat of your choice, with calm winds and small seas. May the faith that you have grow and the storms ahead be few and far between.
Makenna Curtis
Local Pulse Community Writer
Holy Moments
